Telecommunications networks such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks are used for the transfer of audio, video, and other data. ATM networks deliver data by routing data units such as ATM cells from a source to a destination through switches. Switches typically include multiple input/output (I/O) ports through which ATM cells are received and transmitted. The appropriate output port to which a received ATM cell is to be routed to and thereafter transmitted from is determined based upon an ATM cell header.
In a multipoint-to-multipoint switching scenario, ATM cells from a variety of sources are transferred from multiple input queues to multiple output queues within a switch. In such a scenario, it is often beneficial to eliminate duplicate processing of ATM cells or to otherwise prevent the flow of certain ATM cells through a switch by selectively screening ATM cells before allowing them to be transferred through the switch. By only allowing certain ATM cells to be transferred through the switch, valuable switching resources become unencumbered. Accordingly, it would be desirable to devise a scheme whereby valuable switching resources in a network switch may become unencumbered in a multipoint-to-multipoint switching scenario.